Snowplow



J. DORKO SNOWPLOW Aug. 23, 1955 Filed Jan. 9, 1952 INVENTOR. Job/7flow/4'0. BY W A T O P/VEX United States Patent SNOWPLOW John Dorko,Youngstown, Ohio Application January'9, 1952, Serial No. 265,674

1 Claim. (Cl. 37-53) This invention relates to snowplows in general andmore particularly to a snowplow adapted for manual use in clearingsidewalks, driveways and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a manuallyoperated snowplow incorporating means for guiding the same and anadjustably mounted blade for deflecting snow.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a snowplow formanual use comprising a simple, inexpensive construction capable ofbeing adjusted for specific requirements with respect to angularity ofthe snowplow blade.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a snowplowfor manual use incorporating a guiding wheel capable of directing thesnowplow in a straight line regardless of the angular positioning of theblade thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a snowplowfor manual use incorporating mechanical interlocking means between theblade and handle portions thereof permitting the blade to be positionedand locked at any desired angle with respect to the angle of the handle.

The snowplow disclosed herein is of a size and design making itparticularly suitable for use by an individual in clearing snow from asidewalk or a driveway. It is designed to permit the blade to be set atany desired angle so as to conform with the width of the sidewalk ordriveway being cleaned or with the consistency of the snow and it iscapable of being moved sidewardly by an angularly positioned blade.

The snowplow includes a single guiding wheel, the direction of which isfixed with respect to the handle of the snowplow and which wheel servesto guide the snowplow in a straight line despite the angular positioningof the blade thereof.

The device incorporates means for locking the blade at any desired anglewith respect to the wheel and handle and which means is easily andquickly operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side View of the snowplow.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the snowplow shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the snowplow shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in ice particular itwill be seen that a snowplow has been disclosed which comprises a blade10 having an outwardly curved lower surface 11 and an outwardly curvedupper surface 12. The blade 10 is substantially longer than its heightand its lower opposite corners are rounded as at 13 to form a suitableleading edge for the blade when the same is set at an angle with respectto its line of travel.

The blade is provided on its rear side with a mounting bracket 14 ofmaterial preferably L-shaped in cross section to impart suitablerigidity to the blade 10 and the upper portion of the bracket 14 isprovided with a horizontally positioned rearward extension 15, whichextension 15 is generally triangular in shape and provided with aplurality of downwardly extending projections 16 arranged in a radialpattern about a central opening 17.

The extension 15 is secured to the bracket 14 on the back of the blade10 by suitable means such as rivets 18. Alternately, the extensions 15may be formed integrally with the bracket 14 and in any event the sameprovides means for attaching a handle and ground engaging wheel topropel and support the blade 10.

The preferred means for attaching the handle and the ground engagingwheel are illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings and comprisesan inverted U-shaped Wheel carrying bracket 19, the vertical portionswhich carry an axle 20 on which a wheel 21 is positioned. The horizontalportion of the inverted U-shaped wheel carrying bracket 19 has a centralopening 22 and a plurality of depressions 23 formed therein in a radialpattern about the said opening and adapted for registry with the radialpattern of downwardly extending projections 16 in the rearward extension15 heretofore described.

The horizontal portion of the inverted U-shaped bracket 19 has arearward tubular extension 24 defining a socket adapted to receive ahandle 25, the upper end of which has a cross member 26 thereon. It willoccur to those skilled in the art that if desired the handle 25 andcross member 26 may be integrally formed with the extension 24 ratherthan separately formed and attached thereto as shown herein.

A bolt 27 is positioned through the openings 22 and 17 and has abutterfly nut 29 thereon which in operation clamps the rearwardextension 15 against the horizontal portion of the inverted U-shapedbracket 19.

By referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings it will be observed thatthe blade 10 and the mounting bracket 14 are located oifcenter withrespect to the ends of the blade 10 and this permits the operator of thesnowplow to choose the point of leverage with respect to the blade 10when in angular position with respect to the handle 25 best suited tomove snow of different consistencies or amounts. For example, heavy snowwill be advantageously moved to one side by the plow if the blade 10 ispositioned at an angle to the handle 25, as shown in Figure 3 of thedrawings, so that the shorter end of the blade is closer to the handle25 and the longer end of the blade is relatively further away therefrom,thus placing the majority of the weight in balance against the end ofthe handle. Thin layers of snow may be more advantageously handled byreversing the angle of the blade so that the longer end of the blade 10is closer to the handle 25.

In using the snowplow herein disclosed it will occur to those skilled inthe art that the wheel 21 will always be parallel with the handle 25regardless of the angle of the blade 10 with respect thereto and thatthe same serves to enable the plow to be moved straight ahead in a givenpath and to plow snow to one side thereof. The construction disclosedalso permits the snowplow to be used as a snow shovel or scraper whenthe blade 10 is positioned crosswise to the handle 25, as shown inFigures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that'a snowplow has been disclosed which may beeconomically formed of simple parts and is capable of beingadvantageously used in removing snow from sidewalks, driveways and thelike. The device.

is relatively light in weight and thereforedoes not ma- 7 terially addto the labor of moving the same and that the wheel 21 provided carriesthis weight in guiding the plow in the direction parallel with thehandle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: Asnowplow'comprising a curved blade positioned at 'an angle from verticaland having adjacent the top edge thereof a horizontally positionedrearward extension provided with an opening and a plurality ofdownwardly extending projections radially spaced thereabout a wheelcarrying inverted U-shaped bracket pivotally secured to V the lowersurface of said extension by'a nut and bolt assembly engaging saidopening and having depressions radially spaced about said nut and boltassembly registering with said projections. said 'wheel carrying brackethaving a tubular extension rearwardly thereof and a handle secured tosaid tubular extension.

1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7Great Britain Sept. 20, 1917 j

